AAA squad goes undefeated, including a 3-0 win over L.A. Kings in the final

Heading north to Quebec in February to compete in the International Pee Wee Tournament has become a tradition for top metro-Detroit area AAA teams.

The fabled nine-day tournament is both an endurance test and an unforgettable experience for the over 100 teams and 2300 players from 15-20 countries that descend on Quebec City each February.

Founded in 1960, the tournament drew over 210,000 fans over the two weekends of games this year and boasts an alumni list of that includes NHL greats Guy Lafleur, Wayne Gretzky, Eric Lindros, Mark Howe, Marcel Dionne, Gilbert Perreault and Mario Lemieux.

The Honeybaked ’95 team celebrates their 3-0 win over the L.A. Kings on February 24 that gave them the 2008 Quebec International Pee Wee Tournament championship.

This season three Michigan teams – Honeybaked, Belle Tire and Little Caesars – made the trip north to stay with French host billet families and compete in the 49th annual “World Championships of Pee Wee Hockey.”

Honeybaked brought home the 2008 AA Tournament Championship with a 3-0 win over the L.A. Kings on February 24. Playing in front of standing room only crowds of over 14,000 people at Quebec City’s Pepsi Coliseum, the Honeybaked ‘95s rolled to a perfect 7-0 record and allowed an astounding six goals in the tournament.

“The whole experience is what makes the trip special,” said Honeybaked coach Mike Hamilton, who had previously taken four other teams to Quebec for the tournament. “Everyone who goes, win or lose, remembers it because of the billet experience and playing in front of big crowds against teams from all over the world.”

Players get asked for autographs and all of Quebec City pays attention to the games.
“The whole town embraces it,” said Hamilton. “It’s like being in the NHL at 12-years old.”

Getting prepared
Honeybaked teams have been to the Quebec tournament 12 times and have won it five times, including last year. Even before the team arrived in Quebec City, the talk was that the squad was the favorite to win again.

Hamilton’s took his team to Sweden two years ago to experience the travel, staying with billets and international competition in preparation for the trip to Quebec.

“It’s trying to be prepared to deal with the pressure of being a top team and not letting it get to them,” said Hamilton, whose team won three tournaments this season before Quebec. “They know how to win. When the game is on the line they don’t cave and the pressure doesn’t eat them up.”

Hamilton and assistant coaches Joe Smaza, Pat Peake and Todd Waldo oversee players’ off-ice workouts, including shooting extra pucks after practice, at a training facility above the Hazel Park arena.

“We train hard - our motto is to ‘outwork everyone every day’ – and we are very deep. That is definitely our strength,” said Hamilton. “All season we have worn teams down and the third period is usually our best period. These guys are very dedicated.”

Hamilton also credits the competitiveness of their division in the MWEHL for helping prepare his team for the rigors of the seven-games-in-nine days tournament schedule.

“Our league is fantastic – Little Caesars has really pushed us and Belle Tire beat us and tied us – so that was good preparation,” he said.

But still, with the travel, sleeping in a strange bed and the stress of competitive games in front of huge crowds, this “is one of those tournaments where it takes a little luck to win it,” said Hamilton.

On the ice
Strong up front, on the blueline and in goal, Honeybaked used their depth to finish strong in their first three wins against Chomatov, Czech Republic (7-1), Baie Comeau, Quebec (8-1) and the New York Islanders (5-0).

“Those games were great games until the third period and we opened it up,” said Hamilton. “I always go back to us being better conditioned and it pays off at the end of games.”

In their next game against the New York Rangers, an all-star team coached by Mark Messier, Adam Graves and Doug Messier, Mark’s father, Honeybaked took a 2-0 lead and held on for a 2-1 win.

“They are a great team and they gave us fits,” said Hamilton.

Later that same day Honeybaked again jumped to 2-0 lead on the Montreal Maroons and won 4-2.

In the tournament semifinal Honeybaked knocked off Phoenix, coached by Claude Lemeiux, 2-1, in overtime.

“We ran into a hot goalie – we outshot them 33-15 and had three breakaways – and we just couldn’t get one past him,” said Hamilton.

That is until Honeybaked defenseman Eric Israel jumped into the rush and blasted home the game-winner from just inside the blueline with two minutes left in the extra period.

The victory set up a tournament final matchup against the L.A. Kings, a team Honeybaked had beaten earlier in the season, but also lost to the week before in in a scrimmage in Quebec.

“That last game we really had to work hard,” said Honeybaked forward Alex Talcott of Grand Rapids. “They beat us before so we knew we had to come out quick and get the lead on them.”

In the 3-0 win over L.A., each one of Honeybaked’s three forward lines notched a goal, the Honeybaked defense kept the Kings’ top forwards off the scoresheet and Ian Jenkins was outstanding in the net.

“That was by far our best game of the tournament,” said Hamilton. “We know that team pretty well and we totally shut them down. It was brilliant play from everyone on the team and one of our best games of the season.”

The whole experience
In addition to the ultra-competitive nature of the tournament, the trip to Quebec is a cultural change for most teams as they live with billet families in a predominantly French-speaking environment.

“The whole trip was really fun and the competition was tough, but I really liked my billet parents,” said Jenkins. “They took us dog sledding – my dad was driving and I was riding and we had to learn how to control the dogs.

“And they had a lot of pets and I love animals,” said Jenkins, who has two cats at home in Ypsilanti. “They had four dogs, a parrot, a bird, a cat and some fish.”

All of the eight families that housed this year’s Honeybaked squad were veteran billets, including three families who had billeted Honeybaked players every year since 1994.

The Honeybaked players talked to members of last year’s team about what to expect on the trip and corresponded with their billet families via e-mail about their favorite foods and other details
“The billet families really care about the kids and like to set up things before they even get there,” said Hamilton.

After games the Honeybaked players spent some of their time off the ice at the pin-trading area at the arena.

“Everyone kind of hung out there and I met kids from Germany, Russia and there were West Coast and East Coast kids too,” said Talcott.

And in addition to daily team meals and a Honeybaked parent’s-billets dinner out, the group also went to the Quebec Ramparts QMJHL game and the Val Cartier Snow Park.

“It’s a balance because you’re so focused on winning, but it’s a once-in-a lifetime trip and there is so much to experience,” said Hamilton.

The 2008 Quebec tournament champion Honeybaked ‘95s are: Jason Cotton, Eric Israel, Matt Cimetta, Evan Allen, Trevor Hamilton, Tyler Gernhofer, Brennan Sanford, John Hayden, Craig Pefley, Alex Robert, Leo Lumm, Alex Smith, Mike Downing, Ian Jenkins, Alex Talcott, Scott McSweeney and Taylor Fernandez.

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